Continuing to feature some of the best World Cup matches that were ever played in the history of all the tournaments, today we look at the 1983 World Cup’s game between Australia and Zimbabwe.
It was the first time that Zimbabwe had qualified for the World Cup and they had come through the ranks – having won the ICC Trophy the previous year. They were placed in the very tough group consisting of Australia, West Indies and India.
Their first game was against the Aussies who were a tad depleted due to retirements and were on display on the very first day of the tournament. On a swing-oriented track at Nottingham, Australia won the toss and decided to field first.
The Zimbabwean openers Omarshah and Grant Paterson added 55 for the first wicket but took nearly 20 overs to do so. Unfortunately, both got out at the same score. The same sequence repeated with the third wicket stand which raised 31 but was followed by two wickets and at 94/5, it looked like the Zimbabweans would be brushed aside quickly.
However, as it turned out, it was their captain and all-rounded Duncan Fletcher who took them out of trouble with a fine, attacking innings of 69 that came off only 84 balls. Ian Butchart made 34 off 38 as the track eased out and the Zimbabwean side had recovered well to get to 239/6 in the 60 overs.
Still, on a rather placid track, 240 should never have been difficult. Especially after the first wicket had raised 61 runs through Graeme Wood and Kepler Wessels. A duck to the captain Kim Hughes did not matter too much as the side looked to be comfortably perched at 113/2 with Wessels on his way to a half century.
It was here that a middle-order collapse ensued and the Aussies kept losing wickets at regular intervals. When Wessels was run-out for 76, they were a 102 short, and when Geoff Lawson departed with the score reading 176/7, 64 were required to win.
The eighth wicket partnership yielded 50 runs but by that time the overs had run out for Australia and the minnow debutants had created the biggest upset in the history of World Cup cricket till then. Fletcher followed his half century with a four-wicket haul to earn the man of the match award as well.